Yerba Buena Gardens is the name of two blocks of public parks located between Third and Fourth Mission and Folsom Streets in downtown San Francisco , California. The first block bordering Mission and Howard Street was opened on 11 October 1993. The second block, between Howard and Folsom Streets, opened in 1998 with the dedication of Mayor Willie Brown to Martin Luther King , Jr. A pedestrian bridge over Howard Street connects the two blocks to the top of the Moscone Center convention center. The Yerba Buena Gardens are owned by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and were planned and built as the final centerpiece of the Yerba Buena Redevelopment Area which includes the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The original block, opened in 1993, contains a number of public art installations. The King of Martin Luther, Jr. Memorial is located behind a big waterfall. The King's memorial consists of large, etched glass excerpts of King's speech in the languages of the sister cities of San Francisco, as well as a large green space where performance art events are held throughout the year. The entire memorial was a collaboration between Sculptor Houston Conwill, Poet Estella Majoza and Architect Joseph De Pace.

Conwill said that the memorial is "a sacred space ... meant to be experienced as a cultural pilgrimage and a journey of transformation." The act of entering the fountain from the garden, reading the text from the north wall to the east, then the south wall beneath the water, then leaving the garden, represents a cultural pilgrimage and a contemplative metaphorical journey of transformation. On the terrace level above the waterfall is the Sister Cities Garden, where visitors can see an expertly manicured garden with plants representing each of San Francisco's sister cities, as well as a partial view of the downtown skyline.

Green Glass Ship

John Roloff's 18-foot sculpture, "Green Glass Ship — Deep Gradient / Suspect Terrain," rises above the East Garden Terrace, accompanied by portholes that allow a hint of activity to be seen in the Moscone Center, located below the gardens. Roloff said, "At the site, land is an illusion with the gardens above and the convention space below — a metaphor for the ocean, another world, and the surface of the sea."

MLK Memorial Silver Walls

The Dutch artist Lin Utzon designed the walls flanking Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Waterfall as sculpted and silver shapes reflecting the surrounding nuances of water, sky and landscape. These fluted granite walls, emblazoned with gigantic silver cracks, adjust to changes in sunlight and weather. YBG's granite flooring pattern, also designed by Utzon, creates a sense of movement and guides visitors through the gardens.

Genesis

Christine Corday's "Genesis" offers visitors a stylish entrance to Moscone North and Yerba Buena Gardens near the Corner of the 4th and Howard streets, thanks to its massive arc segments of melted and hewn stainless steel supported by a concrete form.

Roll

Below the Passeig bridge across Howard Street, Brendon Monroe's "Roll" is a modern, fluid mural inspired by the movement of water and air in nature that resembles a layer of fog coming over the coastal mountains of San Francisco.

Point Cloud

Leo Villareal's "PointCloud" light installation is part of the Moscone East Bridge with more than 50,000 full-color LEDs and about 800 mirrored stainless steel rods that hang from the ceiling and support the LED matrix with ever-changing patterns. Villareal is the artist behind "The Bay Lights" on San Francisco Bay Bridge, the largest light art installation in the world.

Three Dancing Figures | Untitled

Keith Haring's Untitled Three Dancing Figures is a vibrant, primary color enamel on aluminum and concrete sculptures, prominently at the corner of Howard and 3rd Streets on the east side of Yerba Buena Gardens.

This amazing landmark is located in San Francisco, California and is only a short distance away from:

• Camera Obscura
• The Vulcan Stairway
• Labyrinth at Lands End
• Tank Hill
• Seward Street Slides
• Urbano Sundial 
• Shakespeare Garden at Golden Gate Park
• Balmy Alley

All of these wonderful attractions are located just a short distance from our location, conveniently located just down the freeway at 1261 Locust St, Walnut Creek! Stop by for a visit anytime!